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Monday 11 February 2008

AM is Australia's most informative morning current affairs. It covers the stories each morning that the other current affairs teams follow for the rest of the day. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

Hundreds to flock to tent embassy for apology

Members of Indigenous communities from across Australia are converging on the tent embassy site in Canberra for this week's Parliamentary apology to the Stolen Generations. Meanwhile former attorney-general Michael Lavarch says compensation should be paid to those Aborigines taken from their families.

Australia demands place at NATO table

After a meeting with NATO defence ministers to discuss the military strategy in Afghanistan, Australia's defence minister, Joel Fitzgibbon says Canberra will have a say in NATO's future plans. And Mr FitzGibbon tells AM he can't understand how the previous Coalition government could send Australian defence personnel to Afghanistan without being better informed.

Obama and Clinton still neck and neck

Senator Barack Obama and fellow Democrat, and presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Clinton take their campaigns to the state of Maine for the latest primary. The two candidates are locked together in the race for their party's presidential nomination.

WA Premier denies lobby claims

The Premier of Western Australia, Alan Carpenter has scoffed at claims that the lobbyists, Brian Burke and Julian Grill, still have contact with members of his Government. Julian Grill has said that he and Mr Burke are still talking to ministers and MPs.

Still no federal register of lobbyists

With Federal Parliament set to resume tomorrow, there's still no sign of the proposed register of lobbyists, or even the new rules for those who seek to influence politicians and bureaucrats on behalf of their clients. The register was promised by Kevin Rudd during the election campaign.

Researchers claim Australia behind in numeracy and literacy

Researchers say there has been little or no improvement in childrens' literacy and numeracy skills in the past 40 years. They claim little has changed despite the millions of dollars pumped into the education system.

Bread shortage ushers in Pakistan poll

While terror attacks have killed hundreds of Pakistanis in recent months, the key issue of the parliamentary elections will be the shortage of flour, oil and sugar and the skyrocketing prices that are hurting millions of Pakistanis. From Lahore, Mark Willacy reports many Pakistanis are blaming government incompetence and corruption for the crisis.

Burmese junta's democracy promise meets skepticism

Promises by Burma's military junta that the country will be returned to civilian democracy have been met with some skepticism. It's almost 20 years since the last democratic vote gave Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party a convincing win, but the junta refused to recognise the result and locked her up.

Blanchett lucks out at BAFTAs

The US writers' strike is set to end in just a few days but the spotlight is firmly fixed on today's British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. Stephanie Kennedy speaks to AM from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in London where the BAFTAs are underway.